Scouting Report: The Alps

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Welcome to our third update on our scouting trip series! 

Our scouting team was back in the familiar mountains of the Swiss Alps. We had the chance to sit down with Alpine Explorer and Alpine Challenge trip planner, @Dave McCahill, to hear about his itinerary updates.

Overland has been running trips in the Alps since 1994, which makes Alpine Challenge one of our oldest trips. What were your goals when scouting Alpine Explorer and Alpine Challenge this fall?

Dave: I wanted to locate some new day hiking possibilities for Alpine Challenge (near Simmenfälle in Switzerland’s Bernese Oberland), and to improve the fourth day of Alpine Explorer’s “thru-hike” from Adelboden to Kandersteg (also in the Bernese Oberland, in the shadow of some truly breathtaking snow-capped peaks)! 

Are there any exciting updates to the itineraries in 2023? If so, can you share the details?

Dave: Yes! Alpine Explorer will now enjoy a beautiful new route along the Lotschberg Panorama Trail into the town of Kandersteg. It’s a breathtaking route filled with lots of wildflowers, and views of some truly massive glaciated peaks. But more importantly, it’s a route that our groups can enjoy in all weather conditions, maximizing the chances for our groups to march triumphantly into Kandersteg upon completion of a successful thru-hike.

What are you most excited for students and leaders to experience in the Alps next summer?

Dave: Both groups (Alpine Challenge and Alpine Explorer) will experience the views from the quaint village of Kandersteg. It’s just a breathtaking spot– the peaks rise so sharply out of the valley that you have to keep craning your neck back to see the tallest glaciers, and they mix in easily with puffy clouds! I can’t think of a more beautiful spot to hike! 

What is your personal favorite part of the Alpine Challenge and Alpine Explorer itineraries?

Dave: My favorite spot on both the Alpine Challenge and Alpine Explorer is on the “Hohtürli” pass– Alpine Explorer students experience this as a day hike, while Alpine Challenge keeps on thru-hiking here all the way towards Grindelwald. It’s a high mountain pass beside a glacier, with sunsets so beautiful you feel like you’re in a different world! I met with Corinne, the owner of a campsite where our groups stay each year– it’s at the base of the climb to Hohtürli. Corinne and her family love Overland, they’ve been welcoming our groups for almost 30 years, and they’ve seen it all and had so many great stories to share. Her father Ruedi ran the campsite when I passed through with a group in 2013 which was so much fun– he always wore these wooden clogs called ‘Zoggeli’ — the epitome of Swiss fashion.

What makes our trips to the Alps special to you? 

Dave: These trips are so special because they combine everything that Overland groups love: beautiful scenery, wildflowers, delicious bakeries, incredible sunsets, cows with their cowbells, and amazing hikes. The routes are tough– they’re definitely a challenge– but trips in Switzerland somehow pull out the best in each student and each group. It’s hard not to smile, laugh, and come together as a group with views this beautiful.

Do you have any advice for students interested in Alpine Challenge or Alpine Explorer next summer? 

Dave: Pre-trip preparation is important: make sure to do plenty of warm-up hikes in your boots. But most of all, be prepared to soak up each part of the experience in Switzerland: try new treats in a bakery, or even place your order in French, German or Italian! The more open you are to new friendships and new challenges, the more fun you’ll have in the Swiss Alps!